Occupational Hazard
by Hawki
Summary: Oneshot: There was no way the sangheili could match the manpower of the Imperium, nor the strength of its demon Space Marines. Still, at least they could build plasma weapons that didn't kill their users.


**Occupational Hazard**

Loro 'Makanum knew that he wasn't just going to die. He was going to die an idiot.

It could be said, no doubt by some sangheili writer who would probably be dead in the near future, that at the very least, the Minor had kept his honour. True, he was new to the fields of battle and inexperienced as a result, but even if that inexperience had got him killed, he had not lost his pride. Still, with the demon approaching the wounded sangheili in his resplendent armour, numerous parchments marking his achievements pinned to his form, Loro's pride had seemingly gone the same way as his brain cells.

_Well, no matter. I can still-…_

"Put the gun down alien. _Now_."

The saurian gulped. Apparently his courage had evaporated also.

It was a strange paradox really. Loro knew that in his kind's early history, they had been misled by the san 'shyuum, a race that the species of his current enemy would have said conformed to the meme of "holier than thou." Still, with humanity giving the same adulation to nothing more than a corpse held in stasis as far as he could tell, they apparently hadn't been set back by lies and falsehoods. Indeed, as part of what the demon's superiors were calling the Scarro Cruade, they were pushing their foes back from worlds such as Lucion XIV, one building at a time. And, as the demon threw Loro's plasma rifle to one side, disarming them as well.

The sangheili let out a growl. These demons, these "Space Marines…" they were no different from the ones they had forsook. Acting as angels of death, delivering judgement based solely on ideology.

"Well?" Loro snarled, looking up at the figure in dark green, from baleful red eyes to the white Aquila on his chestplate. "Do it!"

The soldier of the Adeptus Astartes remained silent, though the sangheili couldn't fathom why. From what he'd heard, this Chapter of the Adeptus Astartes, the so-called "Dark Angels" were known for two things-an above average use of plasma weaponry and a _way _above average hatred of alien species. So, deciding to match hatred with his own, he'd opened fire at the demon the moment he saw him, right up to the point where his hand was singed by his cooling plasma rifle. And with the monstrosity ducking out of cover and using his own plasma gun, Loro had paid the price for his stupidity.

_Well, better stupid than playing the silent type. After all…_

"Your time has come and your judgement will be delivered," boomed the Dark Angel, interrupting the sangheili's line of thought. Your fleets are in ruins, your forces are retreating and this world is once again part of the Imperium of Man. And as one shall not suffer the alien to live, the will of the Emperor of Mankind shall be performed."

Loro closed his eyes-not out of a willingness to get ready for death, even if he was, but because he'd heard this rhetoric before. In hindsight, he wondered why he'd even bothered to learn Gothic when all the humans he met said the same thing-"we're superior, aliens are evil, etc." Then again, if he could have his way with hindsight, he'd have used his plasma rifle in a controlled manner so that he didn't have one pointed in his face.

As such, Loro waited for death.

And waited…

And waited…

And _still _waited.

And…

_What in the name of Sanghelios is happening?_

Loro didn't know. All he knew was that he'd felt a surge of heat on his face, albeit one that didn't do any damage. And as he opened his eyes and saw the demon's smoking corpse, his plasma gun's cooling vents melting, he let out a laugh.

True, the sangheili were on the run.

True, the Imperium maintained the upperhand.

But at the very least, his kind could build plasma weaponry that didn't _kill _you when it malfunctioned.

* * *

_A/N_

_Do Dark Angels hate aliens more than most other Chapters? Yes. Do Dark Angels use more plasma weaponry than other Chapters? Yes. Did these traits 'inspire' me to write this?_

_...well, somehow. Can't really remember the exact thought process though. Basing crossovers on similarities can be a vague business._


End file.
